From the very beginning of boat design and construction, designers have devised innumerable ways of stowing and restraining on-board equipment and accessories. With the growing popularity of high-performance watercraft, the need to stow and restrain watersports' accessories, such as boards and waterskis, has become particularly relevant. Specifically, the design of racks and storage compartments that do not interfere with the operation of the watercraft permit these high-performance watercraft to be used and enjoyed in conjunction with other watersports such as waterskiing or boarding.
There are numerous examples in the prior art of racks for storing and transporting objects such as boards or waterskis. Some of the more salient examples are discussed briefly below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,436 (Adams) discloses a water ski rack comprising two units for supporting a pair of water skis. Each unit comprises a fork-like rack element having three tines adapted to receive the skis therebetween, each rack element has a projecting part having transverse grooves. This projecting part is adapted to be inserted in an aperture of a bracket mounted on a suitable supporting structure. A spring adapted to cooperate with the groove is provided on each bracket in order to maintain the rack element in a determined position. A strap is provided to secure the skis in the rack elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,015 (Hunter) discloses a ski rack which comprises at least two sockets having at one end a projection forming a clamp. This clamp permits the attachment of the sockets preferably inside the boat, beneath the gunwale on one side. Two support members are adjustably secured within the sockets and extend upwardly, then horizontally across the top of the gunwale, and thereafter downwardly at an incline outside of the hull of the boat. Pairs of fingers are adjustably attached to the downwardly-sloping part of the support member (the arm), the fingers extend vertically and are sufficiently spaced apart from one another on each arm to receive a water ski and hold it securely during operation of the boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,837 (Ruffolo, Jr.) discloses a carrier, which comprises a base unit having a suction cup for securing the base unit to the exterior surface of the window. A bracket is secured to the base unit and has two ends. One is secured to the base unit and the other forms an U-shaped hanger engaging the top of the window. A support arm has a hooked end and a securing strap. This support arm is secured to the bracket at one end and extends away from the window at a substantial angle above the horizontal. The securing strap has a first end secured adjacent to the base unit and a second end having an aperture through which the hooked end is inserted. With a snowboard in place on the support arm, the securing strap is stretched over the board and attached to the hook such that the board is held in place between the securing strap and the support arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,330,065 (Haddad) discloses a portable water ski rack featuring in essence a pair of slotted A-frames. The skis fit into the parallel slots and are retained by an elastic retainer strap. This portable water ski rack is not designed to attach to the gunwales of a boat, nor does it have a substantially deformable cradle capable of embracing the objects to be carried.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,754 (Collins) discloses a boat ski rack apparatus mounted to the front and rear end walls of the engine compartment. The rack members have support legs connected to the engine compartment. A plurality of individual mounts slidably and frictionally engage within the support plates of the rack. The skis are strapped to the mounts. This arrangement, however, cannot be used on the gunwales of the watercraft nor does the rack have a deformable cradle capable of conforming itself to the shape of the object to be carried.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,082 (Evans et al.) discloses a water ski rack comprising a lower framed panel with slots therein and pivotally connected to the lower frame is a hinged upper framed panel that locks down and retains the skis. The ski slots are lined with a protective material and the slots in the upper framed panel are fronted with an elastic retainer band. When the upper framed panel is locked down with the skis inside the slots, the elastic retainer band expands into the upper slots, preventing the skis from rattling. This rack, however, cannot accommodate paddle boards or objects that are larger than skis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,802 (Hamby et al.) discloses a water ski storage rack for boats comprising a generally upwardly v-shaped support and a base for mounting the v-shaped support to the boat outside the cockpit. The assembly is resiliently deformable in response to applied pressure. The skis rest on the v-shaped support. Although one prong of the v-shaped support is deformable, it is only linearly deformable and thus the angle between the prongs of the v-shaped support is fixed. In other words, the v-shaped support does not deform to conform to the shape of the object to be carried. Furthermore, this rack is only designed for carrying skis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,806 discloses a water ski rack having a series of upwardly slanting ski-holding elements between which the skis can be set. The ski-holding elements are displaceable along the frame so that the gap between the ski-holding elements can be adjusted to accommodate skis of different sizes. However, there is no deformable cradle capable of conforming at least partially to the shape of the object to be carried. Furthermore, this rack is only designed for carrying skis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,220 (Trimble) discloses a portable boat-carried rack for water skis and tow ropes comprising a pair of spaced apart A-shaped frame having slots therein. An elongated flexible strap restrains the skis within the slots. However, there is no deformable cradle capable of conforming at least partially to the shape of the object to be carried. Furthermore, this rack is only designed for carrying skis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,112 (Gallant) discloses a water ski rack comprising a frame for securing skis in a substantially upright position. An elastic strap is further provided to restrain the skis in position. However, there is no deformable cradle capable of conforming at least partially to the shape of the object to be carried. Furthermore, this rack is only designed for carrying skis.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,279 (Hancock et al.) discloses a gun rack for supporting a rifle on a vertical wall of a truck or boat. The rack has a U-shaped holder and a hold-down member which can encircle an item that is being held in the holder. The device is specifically intended to be used on the interior surface of the vehicle (unlike the applicant's invention which is designed to be used on the exterior surface of a watercraft or similar vehicle.) Furthermore, the gun rack is meant to be permanently attached to the vertical wall.
Finally, PCT/FR81/00131 (Herbez) discloses a device for transporting a windsurf, a surf board or the like on a boat. The device has two U-shaped cradles capable of receiving a board. Along the top opening of the U-shaped cradle is a hingedly connected retaining member that locks the board into place. The cradle members are lined with a protective layer to prevent damage to the board.
One of the main issues faced by those designing personal watercraft is space consideration. Personal watercraft typically have very little extra space to work with due to their limited size and compact construction in comparison to conventional watercraft. In recent years, the developments in personal watercraft have enabled users to use these craft for short day trips and pulling waterskiers. As a result, there has been an increased need for storage space onboard these crafts. However, due to the space consideration problems faced by watercraft designers, there is always a desire in the art for an improved arrangement for onboard storage of articles without encroaching on the spaces necessary for the functional powered components of the vessel, such as the engine, steering controls, and propulsion system.